The Chipmunks in Eastwood Academy
by Raniya
Summary: This story takes place after high school graduation. The Chipmunks and Chipettes have faded from stardom and lead average lives in the depleted modern day economy. Alvin has a plan to send all six to college.
1. Chapter 1

**"Eastwood Academy" **

Chapter One

It had been ten years since Brittney and her sisters wandered into the not so innocent light of stardom, and eight years since the producer left them out of the picture – with nothing. They'd gone through high school as average teenage girls; with their head in the clouds and their voices in the wind. They stuck close together to their chipmunk counterparts as both of their families' lives had completely done a 360. Their story begins a month after high school graduation.

"It's not like it used to be when we were kids," Brittney reminisced, resting her arms on the bar before her of a rusting, old merry-go-round, "it was all fun then."

Jeanette sat across from her, cross-legged. She nodded consentingly and dusted off her light blue, acid wash jeans, "the real world," she sighed.

"And to think," Brittney went on sourly, "we can't even go to college. Financial aid is so screwy. We're stuck here with plain minimum wage jobs and mediocre lives. I want to DO something again."

Eleanor hustled to the merry-go-round in her lime green jogging suit. Her old tennis shoes were speckled with dry mud – a clear sign of their use. She pulled the ear phones from her ears and stuffed them into the hoodie's massive pocket. She gasped for a gulp of air and leaned accidentally on the merry-go-round, sending Brittney and Jeanette in a slow whirl.

"How's your running going, El?" Jeanette inquired casually as the merry-go-round brought her closer to Eleanor.

"It's – uh – well, the usual," Eleanor laughed light-heartedly between breaths, "diets are stupid. I should just quit."

"Don't quit now," Brittney encouraged, standing from her rusted spot, "come on, I'll run with you." She nudged Eleanor's shoulder playfully with a confident grin and ran off down the track. As Brittney ran down the track, the familiar sound of heels clicking against the cement echoed off the tall stone wall segregating the park from the high way. Her knee length skirt breathed up with the wind but always seemed to stay down at a respectable level, "Come on!" she called, resting her hands on her knees, "I'll race you to the car."

Eleanor nodded her head insufferably and helped pull Jeanette up. The two of them ran together to catch up with their sister who – even in heels – was faster than them.

** ** **

It had been ten years since and Alvin and his brothers were the suns of stars amongst stars and eight years since the lime light dimmed down. David had long since lost his high-paying California job due to the declining economy and was forced with no other choice to work as a Senior Citizen Health Care Sales man. The boys savings accounts from their stardom was slowly depleting and used on everyday need items. All three of them had job and all three of them stuck tightly together.

Alvin rolled over on his creaky twin-sized bed and stared up at the ceiling where several small glow-in the dark stars threatened to fall, "Simon," he called for his brother who lay two beds away, "do you think Theodore's ok? I haven't heard from him since he got that letter in the mail."

"What letter?" Simon inquired, polishing the lenses of his glasses.

"You know, the letter from that cooking school?"

"Oh!" popped out of Simon's mouth. He rolled off the bed and pulled the space-themed curtains back from the window, allowing an overwhelming amount of sunlight to flood the messy room, "I'm sure he'll be alright. I wasn't accepted into several schools myself. It's disappointing, but it's life."

"Just thinkin' about it," Alvin sighed and propped himself up on three fat pillows. He knew very well that Simon had been accepted to any school he desired but he chose to stay home with his brothers to help keep the house together. Alvin looked over his shoulder at the clock on the wall, "sheesh. It's noon already," he groaned in spirit.

"Maybe we should get up and check on David," Simon suggested, pulling a dark blue hoodie over his head, "last night he wasn't looking quite like himself."

"You go ahead, Simon," Alvin waved his hand to gesture Simon to go without him, "I have to get ready for work. I never thought working in a movie theatre would require as much work as it does. It's more toilet cleaning than movie watching."

Simon laughed at Alvin's remark and closed the door behind him.

Alvin counted to ten and listened carefully for Simon's footsteps to fade away. He cautiously rolled off the bed and tip-toed to the window closest to his side of the room. Silently he pulled down on the string of the dusty old blinds and lifted them. He pulled open the window, looked once over his shoulder and poked his head out. There, below waiting patiently near the overgrown bushes in the backyard sat Theodore.

"Good morning, Alvin!" he shouted with a mouthful of peanut butter.

"Shhhh!!!" Alvin put his index finger over his mouth to gesture Theodore to quiet down, "beee quiet!" he shouted in a whispered tone.

Theodore's green eyes widened, "oh … riiiight," he nodded his head, "it's ready," he mouthed and lifted a heavy backpack.

"Do you have the keys?" Alvin mouthed slowly so that Theodore could understand.

"Mhm," he raised a set of jingling keys from his pocket.

"Ok then, I'll be right down," Alvin grinned and closed the window.

"Exactly WHAT is ready?" Simon inquired, leaning in the doorway.

"Oh – Simon," Alvin hopped in shock, "I was just – checking on the bushes outside the window. They're definitely ready to be trimmed. I'll just be getting to that now," he added suavely ducking under Simon's arm and shuffling into the hallway.

"What about work?" Simon asked, following close behind.

"Well of course, work first," he laughed nervously, "I'll trim the garden when I get back."

"To hell you will," Simon cut him off and stepped in front of him, "What's going on?"

Alvin moaned in frustration and covered his face with his hands. He crossed his arms and stood against the dirtying white walls of the corridor, "I just … I re-recorded some of our old albums. Theodore burnt them onto CDs and we were going to send them to local radio stations," he admitted, averting eye contact.

Simon stood against the opposing wall with his hands in his pockets. Sunlight peeking through a window in an adjacent bedroom reflected off his glasses and sent spectacles of light down the hall. There were several seconds of silence before he replied, "I can't blame you for trying. …" he paused again, shoulders shrugged, "why would you try to hide something like this?"

"I wanted to surprise you," Alvin bit the inside of his cheek with dismay, "happy birthday," he added sarcastically.

"I'm surprised you even remembered," Simon patted his brother on the shoulder, "it would most definitely be a shock to hear one of our songs on the air."

"Thankyou for the kind gesture, Alvin," Simon added with a sheepish grin, "but you'd better hurry. I wouldn't want you to be late for the work on the account of my birthday.

"I won't be late," Alvin began down the hall, "you enjoy your birthday, buddy. Do something exciting," he added bounding down the staircase.

The Seville residence had grown particularly dusty and dull over the years. The furniture dated back to the early nineties when the boys' talents made the income. The big screen t.v. in the family room did not only have a big screen, it had a large, bulky faux wood body. Alvin swiped his signature red ball cap from the black velvet love seat and his wallet from the glass table in the center of the room. The glass table was covered in greasy finger prints and smudges. An old bag of cheese puffs lay opened and abandoned beside three fat, paper fast food cups, watered-down soda seeped from their deteriorating bottoms. Alvin stole a cheese puff and headed through the kitchen to the back door.

"Are you ready? he inquired to an invisible Theodore.

"Ready," Theodore crawled out from the bushes and strapped a rather heavy and old back pack with slightly ripped seams over his shoulder.

"Alright, let's do this," Alvin brushed back his ever-growing light brown hair and patted down the collar of his plaid, blue button-up tee. He covered the dark shadows under his eyes for lack of sleep with a pair of over sized sun glasses and followed Theodore into the Seville garage. "Simon thinks that I'm going to work and that you're off blowing steam from getting a college rejection letter."

"What about Dave?" Theodore inquired innocently, unlocking the door to the only new-er car in the garage - his beloved green Beetle. He was the only of the brothers to acquire the funds for a better car. His pursuits to become a professional caterer weren't exactly going as planned, but his small home business with business partner Eleanor to cater parties, weddings and such had proved to bring home the bread and butter where his brothers could not. Excitement completely overtook his small, chubby hands. They shook nervously and jingled the keys about.

Alvin thought for a moment before entering the vehicle, "Dave's Dave. Simon will tell him exactly what I told him. Now let's go. We've got a long drive ahead of us.

** ** ** **

"Next in line!" Jeanette shouted over the sound of rambunctious barking dogs. She brushed back her messy bangs and replaced the register scanner in her dirty hands. After all, working in a pet store was a very dirty job.

A woman perhaps a few years older and a few years dumber stepped to register four. She averted eye contact and set three items on the counter; a container of fish food, a fish net, and an air pump for a ten gallon tank. Casually she slipped one container of food into her patch-work pocket. After greeting the woman in a cheery disposition, Jeanette inquired, "was that a sample of your own you brought to help you find the right product?"

The woman glared up from her Hello Kitty wallet with eyes full of attitude, "Yeah. Why you think I put it in my pocket," she replied hotly.

"It's nothing personal against you," Jeanette retorted easily, her temper boiling in spirit. She placed the three items into a flimsy plastic bag, "it's just policy."She accepted the twenty dollar bill the woman offered her, gave her change and wished her a nice day.

"Next in line!" She called once more, rubbing her brow where a pulsating ache was beginning to grow. She leaned over her counter, slightly wet from earlier customers with bags of fish, to see how well the line died down. "No one left ..." she said to herself and turned the switch to shut register four's light off. Jeanette turned her heel to leave the counter only to meet with another customer.

"Oh," she quickly replaced her face of dismay with a fake smile, "how are you today?" she entered her four digit password into the register and reached for the scanner. The woman on the other side of the counter did not reply. She tapped her long, tacky acrylic nails on her cell phone and held it closely to her ears. Jeanette reached across to the woman's cart to scan a thirty pound bag of cat litter. She lightly patted down the bag to flatten the barcode so that the scanner would comply to retrieve the code.

"Excuse me," the woman interrupted, waving her hands and twisting her head about, "if you poke a hole in that, I ain't buying it."

Jeanette withdrew from her position over the counter and placed the scanner down, "I'm merely flattening the bag so I can scan it. This bag is extremely tough." The woman continued speaking on the phone about how someone or other cheated on somenone or another and that she ain't gonna be in the middle of dat shit. Jeanette sighed and calculated the total. The woman payed after resilience and debate that the sale sign said otherwise. Quickly, she shut the light off for register four and scampered away so that no one else would bother her. She tred lightly through the least shopped aisles and around to the back so that she might begin her duty of helping to close down shop.

"I hope Brittney isn't late tonight ..." she thought to herself entering into the Cat department were boxes and boxes of canned cat food were scattered all about on the grimy shelves and on the sticky tiled floors. She fussed with the cans to pull them forward and cursed in her head about the previous customers. There was an intercom over the sound of dogs that their owners could not control but Jeanette disregarded it. She was thoroughly fed up. She gathered all the empty boxes her customers had left graciously behind for her and began towards the back of the store to throw them out.

"I hate my job," she said under her breath passing an enormous pile of dog deification, "I hate my job," she repeated tossing the cardboard away, "I hate my job," the words began to not make sense as she scooped up the rather wet mess with a thin plastic bag, "I hateeeee my job," she said it a little louder turning the corner, " I hate - UMPH!" careless to where she was looking, she ran into an unsuspecting wanderer and onto the floor.

"Jeanette," Simon reached for the disheveled girl.

"Oh ... Simon," she blushed to an extremity and took the hand that was offered, "what are you doing here?" she adjusted her glasses and picked up the small bag of feces that had dropped at Simon's feet.

"I'm here to pick you up - from work I mean," he laughed at his own pun, "Brittney called and told me you wouldn't have a ride. She's busy helping Eleanor at a wedding. They called you over the speakers and I waited for a little while but you didn't show up. So I came looking for you. I left you a text message," he pulled out his humble, old Nokia.

Jeanette swallowed nervously and began down the aisle where a "poop-pick-up" station was located. She dropped the stinky bag into the tin garbage bin and wiped her hands on her worn khakis, "my phone's dead," she replied simply with a deep breath, "I - I'm sorry I kept you waiting, Simon."

"It's alright," he assured her, following towards her patiently through the chaotic store - always the most busy five minutes to close, "I wasn't doing anything anyhow," he continued close at her heels as she brushed through the crowd of customers, "which brings me to my next point. You're not busy tonight, are you?"

Jeanette stopped in her tracks with her heart in her throat. Beside her the aviary of birds lit up with feathers. The birds flew up and about with chirps and songs and dips and dives, "I'm not busy."

"I thought ... maybe you'd accompany me to the movies?" Simon requested with his hands in the pocket of his light blue cardigan, " ... as friends of course," he quickly added as the blood - that tingly sort of blood rushed and whizzed about within him. He and Jeanette were always so very close to being a pair. They had discussed it once, openly and agreed that if they had become a pair it would jeopardize the lovely friendship that the six of them held.

" ... of course," Jeanette smiled crookedly, rolling up the sleeves of her heavy, wool work shirt. Her heart plummeted. She wanted them to be a pair - very badly. It wrenched her soul that she would never grasp his warm hand or feel his soft embrace in a loving manner.

Simon caught the dejected expression in Jeanette's eyes. Suddenly Alvin's roguish voice replayed in his mind, "do something exciting." Simon bit his tongue and added, "I mean ... it is my birthday, I couldn't imagine spending it with anyone else."

Jeanette blinked, astounded. Her shoulders rose and eyes perked. She met his gaze, " ... happy birthday," she smiled, "let me grab my jacket."

** ** ** ** ** **

"I think we're just about there," Alvin stated, squirming in the passenger's side seat. His back and neck had become unbearably stiff from the long drive down California's coast. They had entered a more remote part of the state and the road curved into a tunnel of pines and maple. The full-bellied moon peeked between the pockets of leaves and offered very little light for the narrow road east.

"What a strange place this guy lives in," Theodore retorted, turning down the volume of the radio, "are you sure you got the right directions?"

"I'm positive," Alvin double checked the Google map he printed out two nights ago, "it actually says we turn right at the next stop sign."

"A-alright ... where did you meet this guy anyways?" he continued his survey nervously.

"Myspace," Alvin replied shortly rolling up his window from the sudden chill that entered the vehicles compartment.

So it was that at the next stop sign Theodore turned a sharp right and onto an old dirt road. The path was incredibly dark and forced him to turn his brights on. To the right and left and even above in the trees the dark glow of evening creatures glared. At the end of the road a house not too bigger from their own sat hidden from societies view. All colors were lost in the blue bath of night. Theodore parked the car in the cement drive and waited for Alvin to step out first.

Step out first Alvin did. He grabbed the backpack Theodore brought along from the back seat and scanned the area with caution. Theodore quietly shut his door and locked them. He stood beside his brother and they both began up an intimidating amount of porch steps with only a hunch of what they were doing there.

TO BE CONTINUED.


	2. Chapter 2

Alvin took each step of the crooked stoop cautiously and rubbed his arms for the chill of cool California nights had crept up from the trees in the form of a midevening breeze.

"4104," he read the copper numbers above the tall oak entrance doors, "this is the place."

The house was not by any means in any particularity frightening or stereotypically old and creepy. The house was as modern as any house that the boys were familiar with around their own neighborhood. But the eve and the dark had rained down and cast its severity and twisted shadows in a menacing way.  
Theodore kept close to his brother and pulled the hood of his sweater over his head to hide himself from the creeps he was sure was watching from the bushes and the brush. Alvin stepped up to the door mat and knocked. The door opened quickly and an enormous blast of music swept them under their feet. Pure, white light flooded the porch and a tall, grizzly looking young man greeted them.

"It's about time you showed up, Alvin," the young man pulled them both back up their feet and patted Alvin on the back.

"You brought us to a party, Alvin?" Theodore inquired as a waft of sweets and cakes entered his sensitive nostrils.

"Not just any party, Teddy," Alvin assured him, following the young man into the house, "this is a frat party."

"A ... a FRAT party? What do they have to do with US?" Theodore retorted confused.

"They celebrate US," Alvin grinned, "Theodore, this is Leo."  
The shaggy faced individual clapped Theodore on the back with a wide, yellow grin, "We grew up on you guys," Leo stated, leaded them through the main corridor into an enormous living quarters where young people were lounged around. It took Theodore a moment to realize, but it soon became plain as day that the blasting music that send them on their backs was their very own music.

"That's ... that's us," Theodore commented to his brother.

Alvin grinned contently with his arms crossed as a flock of young girls crowded in his direction, "Good evening, ladies. How is everyone?"

"But ... why are we here?" Theodore asked over the excitment and shouting.

"We're here," Alvin lifted the back pack over his shoulder, "to get into school. All SIX of us."  
Theodore stood with his hands in his pockets as the information downloaded into his head. He payed no mind to the small cluster of young people that crowded about him, "How?" he asked simply.

"I work in the admissions office," Leo smirked, unzipping the backback and pulling out the artifacts Alvin promised.

"Hey!" Theodore shouted, "Those are our original albums!"

"I know - extremely valuable amongst the people of our generation," Leo replied and safely stuffed them away, "Welcome to Eastwood Academy boys. You'll be recieving your letters in the mail shortly."

"Bottoms up, Teddy!" Alvin shouted merrily, lifting a plastic blue party cup, "And Happy Birthday to Simon!"

** ** ** ** **

Jeanette strolled uneasily across the back of the store with Simon humbly at her side, unknowing of her rushing heart beats, huffing away within her. He followed her into the dingy employee lounge that was tucked so far back that not even the most skilled of theives would recognize it. Jeanette entered into the familiar sound of the rumbling old refridgerator, and the thick smell of over buttered microwaveable popcorn. The Zenith t.v. on a half broken stand was on and it's sound crackled. Jeanette threw her old brown, heavy messenger back over her shoulder and led Simon out of the store.

"Thanks for giving me a ride," she said bashfully as they ventured out into the cool, summer evening air.

"It's my pleasure," he assured her formally, pulling out the keys to his old Jeep Wrangler. He hurried before her and opened the passengers side door. He grasped her small, warm hand and helped her up into her seat. She blushed madly under the new moonlight and thanked him quietly.  
Simon joined her on the other side. The drivers seat was covered with a a very practical, bright blue cover. It had several different compartments for whatever he desired to store; wallet, money, cell phone, mp3 player. He pulled a rather heavy set of keys from the pocket. There were more trinkets hanging from the silver rings than keys; they made sounds, lit up, and sprung about dangled from the ignition. Simon pulled his cell phone from his pocket and stuck into a pocket of his seat cover close to his left ear and plugged his Sanyo MP3 player to the cassette retriever in the old radio. The jeep started with a reluctant sputter then purred ominously.

Jeanette pulled the seatbelt across her chest and sat back comfortably. Simon kept his car very neat. She could smell Turtle cleaner and polisher on the dashboard as though he just recently ran a washrag across it. The air vents were dusted and all grim was carved from cracks and nooks. The seats and floors were vacuumed and she was certain she could eat off of them. From the mirror hung a picture of all six of them. She sighed quietly with contempt as the mp3 player sounded over Simon's home-made speakers. She was so at home. Perhaps she would let her car remain unfixed. To be picked up everyday from work by Simon would be ravishingly refreshing.

"What are we going to see?" she inquired as they began off down the cigarette-speckled LA street.

"I thought we'd check out that new 3D film. (yes, readers. I'm referring to Avatar lol) It looks interesting enough," Simon replied with a confident heir.  
"I've been wanting to see it," Jeanette confessed resting her arm on the center arm rest, "... I promised Brittney and El I'd wait for them though ... I guess they won't mind."

Simon paused before he replied, flicking the blinker to turn left, "Well ... if you like, we can just rent a movie," he suggested shyly.

"Well, I suppose there's no wrong in that," Jeanette answered feeling her tongue slightly twist as though no more words would produce. She was on a ride to a very nerve-wracking evening - stuck in her stinky work uniform no less. Her heart pounded hard against her chest, threatening to stop. With her sleeves still rolled high up to her elbow, her bare arm on the center rest could feel the heat radiating off Simon very near. Her ears, she was certain, had turned a particularly bright red.

"We could just rent something on paper-view," Simon went on casually, unaware of Jeanette's near-nervous breakdown, "have you eaten anything yet?" as the Jeep came to a red light he looked over to her with calm, great big blue eyes. They sent her into a sentimental reverie.

"Uhm, no. Not exactly," she felt silly. They were always alone together. Why now did it matter?

"I didn't make much this pay check, but it wouldn't hurt to buy out tonight for us. I haven't heard from Alvin or Theodore," he thought to himself, taking the freeway as a short cut. The lights as they passed them threw delightful gold shadows across his face, "so I'm sure they've already eaten, especially Teddy."

The two shy creatures continued their drive. They'd stopped at a respectable coney for carry out, Jeanette ordered light as she felt anything else might send her into a dizzying spin of nausea. When the Jeep pulled into the old drive, she was feeling light headed with romance. She couldn't help herself. Her mind was set on him.

Simon removed the bulky key set from the ignition and pocketed it, as well as his cell phone and mp3 player. He balanced the paper bag of food in one arm and hurried to the passenger's side to help Jeanette out. Even in her sagging blue work t-shirt he thought she was beautiful and her sparkling green eye contact sent him into a frenzy of tingly heart pounds. He proposed in his mind that she may jump down from the jeep and right into his arms and he would heroically carry her up the stoop and right into his bedroom. Whence she was safely on the ground and gazing dazidly in a different direction, he gulped nervously and took a breath to grasp focus on the night ahead.  
The house was dark and empty. There were no other cars in the garage. Not even Dave was home. Simon contemplated his luck and weighed the consequences of what might or might not happen. He was feeling either very unlucky, or incredibly fortunate. He unlocked the back door and held it open for his fair maiden. He could write poetry that very moment; a great epic piece of the mistress with emerald eyes and flowing chestnut tresses of her. His heart was very near the back of his throat and his blood was raising with it. All of him was a big bubbly mess. He would trip or fumble - he knew it. He would try to say something smoothe - than lose it. He felt fine five minutes ago. But now, in the still of his own home, in the darkness of the empty house, the vulnerability of midnight creeping upon them was ripping him wide open.

He reached for the light switch and set the food that now felt like a hundred pounds on the counter top. The kitchen flooded with mellow, low yellow light and revealed that the both of them had very red faces. Empty handed, Simon for a moment felt very awkward. They gawked idly at one another from either side of the kitchen, their toes twisting within their old tennis shoes. Simon's glasses drooped down his nose. And quite suddenly, as if the both of them had a psychological understanding, they ran to one another and met in the center of the kitchen. Their lips met and their hearts met. Simon was feeling wonderful and Jeanette was a star high, high up in the sky. The old kitchen light bulb flickered uneasily twice - thrice and, died. Jeanette's courage raised ten degrees. She grasped onto the collar of his modest, soft cardigan and pushed him against the kitchen table. With veracity she pulled the thing off and rubbed up close against him.

"Jeanette," Simon breathed nervously, "are you sure?"

"More sure than ever," she replied confidently, she now had him atop the table. She crawled up - almost tripping, "if one thing's for certain, this little family of ours," she grinned referring to the six of them, "needs a proper mommy and a proper daddy."

Simon laughed cynically and placed a hand in her messy hair, "I guess you're right," he pushed her over and rolled on top, "but ... for safe measures," he picked her up into his arms. She screamed and laughed all at once, enraptured with complete fulfillment. "for safe measures," he went on, kicking the kitchen door open, "let's go somewhere else."

"Oh Simon!" she shouted cheerfully, embracing his neck, "let's always be together!"

TBC.


	3. Chapter 3

Simon and Jeanette lay side by side on the small twin mattress bed in the serenity of the dark.

"We can't tell anyone about this," Jeanette spoke up after minutes of silence and haughty breaths.

"Definitely not," Simon agreed with one hand on his warm, bare chest and the other around Jeanette. She was snuggled close to him, her hair down and tickling his chin. After the following statement, neither of them said another word. They were perfectly content having one another and even more fulfilled now that the empty years leading to the point had finally ended. Jeanette was first to doze off with her rosey cheek pressed against the top of his chest. She breathed lightly and squirmed every now and then lost in a dream, tip-toeing about in some fantasy land. Simon lie awake, wide-eyed and thoughtful. He was drowned in a homey comfort. The bedroom window near his bed was open and let in cool breezes and the familiar - familiar to city dwellers - sound of cars zipping by on the nearby freeway. Feathery, light clouds passed below the moon and threw the light in different shaped against the bedroom walls.

Simon's eye lids fluttered softly. His heart beats dimmed and mind-race ended it's lengthy pace. Abruptly, however, the alarming sound of two car doors slamming shut woke him right back up.

"Alvin! Are you alright!" Theodore's innocent voice traveled up into the peace of the room.

Simon panicked. He knew that eventually his brothers would arrive home, but in the rush of the event, he hadn't played out his plans in mind. He slipped out of Jeanette's grasp and peeked between the two curtains and below. There was Alvin, nearly crawling across the patio to the back door, swerving uneasily - Theodore rushing to his side. Simon reached for an old Hawaiian t-shirt hanging from a half opened dresser drawer and slipped his arms through, not minding to button it up. He picked Jeanette up carefully into his arms and hurried down the corridor to the guest chambers. Jeanette's arms and legs hung easily and he was careful not to hurt her tactfully stepping sideways through the narrow doorway. He rested her in the soft plush covers and opened a nearby window, propping it open with a small piece of wood. On a nearly ancient, yellow wooden chair beside the bed he set up an old box fan, for he could see that perspiration was still glossing her forehead and brow.

Below he heard the back door swing open on it's hinges and one set of heavy foot steps and another set of uneasy footsteps. He kissed Jeanette sweetly on the forehead and headed back out into the open of the house.

"I'm fiiine, Theodore," Alvin voice carried on throughout the Seville residence.  
Simon didn't bother turning any lights on in the house, he merely carried on in the dark for he knew the corners well and each step on the stairwell by heart. Besides, lurking around in the dark while most souls were sleeping was as big of an adventure as he could get. He hopped down the last step and turned right into the kitchen where the street lights outside revealed the state of his two brothers.

Alvin leaned against the kitchen table with one arm and other hand on his stomach. Theodore was standing nearly dumbfounded of Simon's appearance near the refrigerator, grasping the handle as if he was afraid to lose it.

"Late from work, Alvin?" Simon inquired dryly, standing in the doorway with the flaps of his old Hawaiian shirt flying up from the breeze of the ceiling fan above.

Alvin looked over his shoulder, his eyes glassed over, "Simon," he smiled, "we had such a great time."

"What's he talking about Theodore?" Simon looked to Teddy whom now grasped the fridge handle with both hands.

"We went to a little party is all," Theodore confessed, "I didn't drink because I knew I would have to drive us home."

"Drink?" Simon looked from Theodore to Alvin and hurried over to the sick brother, "Alvin, if Dave knows he'll have a cow! What were you doing out drinking?"

"It's a secrettt," Alvin giggled attempting to stand straight. Simon groaned with irritation and almost by sheer instinct put one arm around Alvin to straighten him up. Theodore rushed to the other side and together they helped Alvin up the stairs to their bedroom. After calming him down and convincing Theodore that Dave wouldn't find out, Simon lay back down and fell asleep.

** ** ** ** ** ** **

The following morning, Simon awoke to an unfamiliar ring tone. He rolled over towards his night stand in a daze with the direct light of the morning sun spilling in through the window to realize it was Jeanette's little purple cell phone buzzing. He reached over and hit as many buttons he could until the sounds stopped. Adrenalin racing, he looked over to Alvin and Theodore. He prayed thanks for they were still fast asleep and snoring loudly. He sat up, with his legs over the side of the bed and took a moment to observe the small device in his hands. He flipped the phone open and read the bright lcd screen.

"Text Message from: Brittney."  
Simon sat for a moment in contemplation as whether or not to read it. He clicked the small green button and a new white bubble popped up. He read; "Hey, where are u? Me and El are worried!"

Simon closed the phone. He slipped a pair of old basketball shorts on over his boxers and light-footedly left the bedroom. He peeked into the guest chambers to find Jeanette sitting at the edge of the queen sized bed cast in a reverie of day dreams, gazing out the window. Simon grinned and softly closed the door behind him.

"Good morning," he whispered as not to startle her.

"Oh," Jeanette smiled shyly, "good morning," she blushed remembering their evening together. She avoided the best she could to not stare at his bare chest, or the particular fabric of the shorts he had slipped on. She noted that the blue matched his eyes and that the fabric frayed at some ends. Quickly she looked away and met his eyes.

"I hope you slept well," Simon sat on the bed beside her and twiddled his thumbs, "I had to move you in here so my brothers wouldn't have a fit. I didn't want to wake you."

"No, it's alright," she retorted with wide, green eyes, "it was lovely sleeping in this huge bed," she brushed her hands along the plush, baby blue covers, "I've never slept on such a soft bed!"

"Oh, here," Simon handed over the cell phone, "you left this on my night stand. I think you just got a text," he lied.

Jeanette accepted the phone and read the text to herself, "they're worried about me. Well," she thought for a moment and sent a quick text. Simon leaned over her shoulder with curiosity, but before he could take a peek, she folded the phone shut and hopped up from the bed, "I think I'd like to take a shower," she proposed suddenly, stretching her arms towards the ceiling.

Simon, too, stood and grasped both of Jeanette's hands, "before you do that," he leaned in close so that his nose touched hers, "tell me something."

"Tell you what?" she gulped with infatuation. She seemed to have fallen right into his gaze.

"Tell me, we can continue to be together," Simon rubbed each individual finger passionately, "I don't think I can stop altogether showing you my affections."

"I don't think so either," Jeanette answered timidly, "I mean - me. I don't think that I could stop wanting to be with you either. Not after last night. I think you're stuck with me, Simon. But ..." she paused and bit her bottom lip, "we have to keep it a secret. The six of us depend so much on one another lately. If ... if anything happens, we've got to stick together and ... I don't want anyone else to know," her tongue was twisted, "I'm afraid it would cause ... friction and complications."

"I understand," Simon replied easily, "now hurry into the shower," he playfully shoved her in the direction of the guest bedroom's bathroom, "you know where everything is," he watched her with admiration as she hurried along. He watched the way her hips swayed and almost lost his mind. Abruptly she turned her heel, pecked him on the cheek and hurried back to bathroom, shutting the door.

Simon sighed with love on his breath and left the guest room.

** ** ** ** **

Moments later, Alvin had rolled out of bed and crawled down to the kitchen for an honest bowl of Cheerios. He joined Simon who sat with an extremely sunny disposition, "What's gotten into you?" Alvin inquired almost with jealousy, pouring the cereal into small, paper bowl.

It was a gorgeously clear morning, and pure golden light breathed into the kitchen like a great big yellow balloon. Simon took a prideful gulp of Pomegranate juice and wiped his mouth with his arm, "nothing particular," he retorted sauvely, "it's just such a beautiful sunny morning, and I don't have to work today. Isn't that a good enough reason to be happy," he finished, skillfully peeling an orange with a plastic party knife, leftover from their combined graduation party.

"Yeah," Alvin replied sarcastically, "real happy," he stared idly at the bowl of dry cheerios shuffled them about with his index finger. The after morning headache pulsated and tossed his brain about against his skull. He groaned and accidentally knocked the box of cereal over, "I think I'm gonna go take a shower first. Maybe it'll make me feel better," he decided. Alvin was naturally a morning person and he preferred to start his days off by being clean. Simon nodded him off casually and continued to peel away at his orange, greeting Theodore who entered the kitchen from the back yard.

Alvin climbed back up the stairs, emotionlessly pulled a towel down from the hall closet and threw it over his shoulder. The main house rest room door was shut and Alvin felt hard pressed. He knocked on the door and Dave's groggy morning voice answered that he may be awhile and that Alvin should use the guest bedroom bathroom. Reluctantly Alvin entered the guest room, without a thought, for, as far as HE knew know one else was in the house. He had calculated faces as he saw them. He opened the door and a timid, feminine voice cried, "Occupied!" from the other side of the flowery shower curtain. Alvin hopped in shock and nearly slipped on the wet floor. He grasped the marble counter top, fingers grazing a pair of rosy, pink specs. He quickly scanned the personal objects scattered throughout the bathroom before leaving.

"Simon?" The small voice inquried.

Alvin perked up.

"Simon?" she asked again, "can you hand me that towel folded on the toilet seat?"  
Alvin sucked his lips in, unable to pass up the opportunity and grasped the light blue towel. Jeanette wrapped the corner of the curtain around her body and, unable to see what Chipmunk was there to hand her the towel, payed no mind. Wordlessly Alvin handed her the towel and slunk away, softly shutting the door. He shook his head of the image, and then rubbed his pulsating temples. He walked then briskly almost down the stairs and back to the kitchen to his half empty bowl of cheerios. Simon whisked away at his orange.

"Simon?" Alvin inquired, pouring milk into his bowl.

"Yes?" Simon smile light-heartidly.

"Why is Jeanette Miller in the guest bathroom?"

Simon at first didn't answer. On the outside, he remained calm his expression was unmoving, but on the inside, oh the inside he was twisted up with nervousness,

"Brittney and Eleanor were out late last night catering a wedding. She didn't want to be alone," he retorted calmly, "we just rented a couple of movies and hung out."

"Rented a couple of movies," Alvin repeated to himself, taking an enormous spoonful of cereal, "Riiight."


End file.
